Delcam Announces
PowerSHAPE 2014

BIRMINGHAM,
UK, Jun 21, 2013 - The 2014 release of Delcam’s
PowerSHAPE CAD software offers a range of new
functionality for the conversion of product
designs into tooling designs. The software now
provides an even more powerful set of
easy-to-use tools to increase productivity
through increased automation and improved
workflow. Full details, including video
demonstrations of the new functionality and the
option to download an evaluation version, are
available here
http://lz.powershape.com.

PowerSHAPE’s Smart Feature Manager
allows users to identify all the features within
a solid in a single operation

By offering a combination of modelling and
reverse engineering functionality, PowerSHAPE
provides the most comprehensive range of design
techniques available in a single CAD program.
Having all the different technologies in the
same package reduces the need to transfer data
between multiple programs and so streamlines the
whole product development process. At the same
time, the combination of quick and easy direct
modelling options, together with powerful and
flexible surface modelling, makes PowerSHAPE the
perfect choice for design for manufacture.

The Solid Doctor in PowerSHAPE has offered quick
and easy repair of imported data from other CAD
systems for many years. For the 2014 release,
these capabilities have been enhanced with the
addition of the Smart Feature Manager.
PowerSHAPE can already recognize a variety of
solid features within imported “dumb” geometry,
such as fillets, slots, bosses etc. The Smart
Feature Manager allows users to identify all
these features within a solid in a single
operation and so makes the analysis of the
imported data easier and faster.

The software includes a set of filters so that
all the features that fulfill specific criteria
can be identified within the model. For
example, the Smart Feature Manager can find all
the holes having the same, specified diameter,
or those having radii between two values.
Similarly, if a single feature is selected, all
similar features can be identified with a single
click.

Once the particular group has been isolated, all
the features within it can be suppressed or
deleted simultaneously. Creating groups of
similar features also makes it easier to manage
the feature tree.

One common problem for tooling designers is
finding fillets that are too small for
successful filling of the mold. The Smart
Feature Manager can be used to identify all the
fillets having radii less than a particular size
so that they can be modified to more suitable
values.

When creating fillets, two new types of solid
fillet have been added to the range of options
in PowerSHAPE. Constant-width fillets create a
blend based on a nominal radius when the
distance between two edges remains fixed.
Curvature-continuous fillets create a smooth
blend between the selected edges. They have
curved cross-sections, with the radius of the
curve varying continuously to match the
curvature of the underlying faces.

Another common requirement for tooling design is
adding draft surfaces and split surfaces to the
model. These modifications and similar
repetitive tasks have been made simpler through
the addition of “Apply” buttons to all the
surface-creation dialogs that allow multiple
operations or operations on multiple surfaces
without leaving the form. Clicking the right
mouse button has the same effect as pressing
“Apply”, which further speeds up repetitive
operations.

The core/cavity separation wizard in PowerSHAPE
has been a key option for toolmakers for many
years. This functionality has been rewritten to
make it even faster and more effective. It
divides the solid model into core and cavity
pieces that can then be separated dynamically
using a simple slider.

Any ambiguous faces can be assigned to the
appropriate side, while any regions where slides
or lifters might be required can be allocated to
a completely new line of draw. If required,
individual faces can be split and then attached
to the correct part of the tool.

Throughout the process, clear graphical
feedback, including undercut shading, highlights
any potential molding issues arising from the
design so these can be corrected at an early
stage in the mold design process.

Another useful addition is a new “solid
extrusion” tool that allows solids to be created
from multiple nested curves in a single
operation. Any inner curves are extracted
automatically from the solids to give hollow
shapes. This option is ideal for creating
embossed text, such as part numbers or product
names, and similar complex-shaped features.